Henry H. Eckhoff

HENRY H. ECKHOFF. A position of honor and usefulness has been filled in the pioneer citizenship of Meade County by Henry H. Eckhoff, who came into that region more than thirty years ago with some of the first colonists to attempt conquest of this region as a center of permanent homes and farms. He arived[sic] in the county March 1, 1885, and for many years has enjoyed being the owner of one of the good ranch and farms in the south end of the county in Odee Township and in the Uneda settlement.

Mr. Eckhoff was born at Lindorf, Hanover, Germany, March 26, 1864. His father, Peter Eckhoff, was born in Hanover and married Ella M. Aidelheit. Henry H. Eckhoff came to America three years before his parents, locating at Cole Camp in Benton County, Missouri. His parents then joined him, sailing from Bremen, and landing at Castle Garden and from there proceeding westward to Benton County, Missouri. Peter Eckhoff has been a farmer all his life and is still living in Meade County at the age of seventy-seven. He and his wife had three children: Henry H.; Ella, who married Herman Mierdierks and died in Meade County; and Christ, of Meade County.

Henry H. Eckhoff and his parents came to Western Kansas with another well known pioneer of this region, Barthold H. Cordes. Henry Eckhoff had just passed his majority, and thus all his mature career has been spent in this community. His first work in the county was as a farm hand for W. C. Campbell. He also entered a pre-emption in section 32, township 34, range 28, where he built a little one-room sod house, as he says, just enough for a small bachelor, and in that humble abode he lived for almost three years. The room contained a cookstove, a few chairs and his bed. On that land he started to raise crops, and his failures were perhaps more frequent than his successes. In order to provide his living he had to work out for others. He also placed a mortgage on the land, and the interest and taxes amounted to more than he could make. He rid himself of this obligation by deeding the farm to a mortgage company. This left him with only a team as working capital, and for several years he employed his energies in the service of others. In 1893 he married, and then took up his present homestead, the southeast quarter of section 3, township 35, range 28. He built there the pioneer improvements, including a combination frame and sod house with five rooms, which, with added comforts from time to time, constitutes the present home of the Eckhoff family. In that house his children were born and have grown up. In strict farming Mr. Eckhoff has had numerous failures, and though he has sown wheat every fall there has been only one crop in about three. His maize and kaffir has never failed to make feed for the stock. He has grouped around the homestead the ownership of other land to the extent of 680 acres in a single body and on about half of this is farming and raising crops. The land is conveniently improved with barns, sheds and granaries. As a stock man Mr. Eckhoff has developed a good herd of Shorthorns.

He has shown himself a friend of good schools and community improvements, and has served on the school board and three terms as trustee of Odee Township. He is a republican, and cast his first presidential vote for Benjamin Harrison. He has never missed a presidential election, and all his voting has been done in Meade County. Mr. Eckhoff is member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and contributed to the building of that house of worship.

February 12, 1893, he married Miss Annie Borger. Her father, Claus Borger, was brought from his native Hanover to Missouri when a child. He grew up in that state, and married in Benton County Meta Lujten. Mrs. Eckhoff was one of nine children, and the others still living are Claus, George, Moritz, Henry, Lena, wife of Max Klotz, and Mary, wife of John Borchers.

On their home farm in Meade County Mr. and Mrs. Eckhoff have reared a splendid family of sons and daughters to the number of eight, their names in order of birth being Ella, Claus, Fred, George, John, Herman, Mary and Bernhardt. Only one is married, Ella, who is the wife of Ed Buck, of Meade County.

Pages 2480-2481.